Manawatu Standard
Big cleanup ahead
The raging Pohangina River has receded but flood waters have left behind a huge mess on large areas of farm land. The cleanup had begun for many people after the wider Manawatū was hammered by strong wind and heavy rain on Sunday and Monday, with a...
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Relief as storm fears fade
A night of gritted teeth gave way to sighs of relief yesterday as the wider Manawatū was spared major calamity. The storm that triggered a region-wide state of emergency and fears of devastating floods brought wild winds but not the heavy rain...
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Manu comp the bomb
The Papaioea Palmerston North Manu Comp, an official qualifier for the 2026 Manu World Champs, made quite a splash on Saturday for competitors and fans alike.
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Free swims retained for preschoolers
Preschoolers and their caregivers will continue to be able to swim for free at Palmerston North’s Lido and other pools, despite entry fees going up 10% for other users. City council staff had proposed introducing a $3 charge for people supervising up...
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Athletics club burglary below the bar
A Feilding athletics club has been left scrambling to source gear for a junior competition after its clubhouse was burgled. Children attending Moa Harriers’ first practice of the year on Wednesday evening were disappointed to learn high jump and shot...
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Hospital ED upgrade starts
Palmerston North Hospital’s emergency department is getting a $14.45 million upgrade. Health Minister Simeon Brown said construction of the expansion was starting now and would be finished by the end of June. It would increase the department’s...
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Flynn’s Celtic Strings coming to town
An Irish musician is bringing the sound of Celtic strings to Manawatū. Dublin composer and guitarist Dave Flynn is performing two concerts and running a free Celtic music workshop. There will be a show at Palmerston Norths Globe Theatre at 7.30pm...
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Stringent security
A psychologist who assessed the Christchurch terrorist last year believed his judgment was affected by prison conditions, but stopped short of saying he was not fit to enter a plea. Brenton Harrison Tarrant was convicted of killing 51 worshippers and...
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School backs ‘superheroes’
Whenever Kelly Stickle thought she could not run any further, the memory of her daughter Indie’s determination to overcome trauma and play like the other kids provided inspiration. Once a happy, thriving baby, at 14 months old Indie was suddenly...
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At a glance
The Canterbury Glen Eagles will be gunning for a fourth Superstock Teams Champs title in a row this weekend and spearheading their challenge is a driver from Palmerston North. It’s teams champs weekend again and Palmerston North will be packed today...
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Judge tells offender he’s ‘too old for this’
A labourer grieving the death of his father and brother thought a woman stole his mother’s car so broke into her home and trashed it while police watched on, too scared to intervene. Judge Jonathan Krebs told the Palmerston North District Court on...
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Patients finally move to new mental health ward
Patients and staff have finally moved into Palmerston North Hospital’s new $66.6 million mental health ward Ngā Wai Ngaro, and city MP Tangi Utikere said it was overdue. The unit was officially opened in September by Mental Health Minister Matt...
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Snapshot of city’s migrants
Smiles, stern faces and personal experiences – diverse photographs in a new exhibition tell the story of migrants living in Palmerston North. Photographer Gerry le Roux is running an exhibition at Square Edge Community Arts from tomorrow to March 1...
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School bus rules to remain
A century-old school transport policy has become a bugbear for people unhappy about changes to high school bus routes in Palmerston North, but don’t expect it to change any time soon. Changes to some bus services in Palmerston North have come into...
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Barrier keeps trucks out of bus lane after near-misses
Truck drivers using a bus stop in Bulls to bypass an intersection that connects to two busy state highways will have to stick to the road instead, now that the council has installed a boom gate. The Rangitīkei District Council said it was prompted to...
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Dahlia farmer is finding her roots
A Manawatū mother is immersing herself in the joy of growing a flower once cultivated by the Aztecs for food after turning her paddock into a sought-after display of dahlias. Emma True, of Halcombe, is entering her third season of flower growing and...
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Two schools for kids with special needs to be built
Queen Elizabeth College in Palmerston North will be the home of one of two new specialist schools to support children with high and complex needs, the first built in New Zealand in 50 years. The other school will be at Ngākōroa School in Drury, south...
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New school bus service on way
Palmerston North Boys’ High School is investigating starting its own bus service to cater for students whose routes have been cut. Meanwhile, a parent-led bus scheme for one rural area will be up and running next week. The school term is starting and...
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Brighter prospects for kids with cystic fibrosis
Two Palmerston North families are feeling “stoked” that their preschoolers with cystic fibrosis can look forward to lives almost as long and good as those without the disease. Lily Olliver, 4, and Ollie Carmont, 2, are likely candidates for the...
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Parents eye own solution
Some Manawatū parents are trying to launch their own bus service to ensure their children can get to high school from rural areas where routes into Palmerston North have been cancelled. The effects of a long-running saga about changes to the city’s...
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Commander says goodbye
A man tasked with overseeing some of the country’s most grisly cases is retiring from police after almost five decades serving the public. Ross Grantham joined the force in 1979 and was posted to his first beat in Wellington in January 1980 after 12...
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Optimism despite grim diagnosis
A Manawatū man has maintained an optimistic outlook despite a grim cancer diagnosis. Ashhurst’s Jeremy Smith, 39, is a lieutenant colonel in the army and since he was diagnosed with cancer in December 2024, has been through a harrowing year of...
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Music stops for record shop
The closure of Palmerston North’s only dedicated record store is not due to a lack of support from local music lovers, says its owner, who has decided running his business across two cities is not viable in the current retail climate. Vinyl Room in...
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Safer access petitioned for
A Horowhenua family who have farmed their land for four generations are asking the public to support efforts in getting safer access to their business, which sits on a dangerous state highway. Lewis Farms has fast become a destination for people all...
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Afghan family adjusts to life
After years in a foreign country as a refugee, adjusting to living in New Zealand was a shock to a family from Afghanistan who now call Palmerston North home. The Awhina Whakatau Trust works to provide accommodation for refugee families when they...
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Cuts leave students ‘stranded’
Families in a coastal Manawatū village say their children will be cut off from attending secondary school when the term starts as the bus service has been slashed. At the end of last year, the Ministry of Education completed a review of secondary...
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Enduring repairs sought for bridge cables
Cables on what remains of the historic Ōpiki bridge over the Manawatū River urgently need to be lifted out of the water. One set of cables has been dangling in the river since the end of December, when they most likely succumbed to high winds,...
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Newcomers spend up big
Spending money on election campaigns has paid off for some newcomers to the Horizons Regional Council. The currently incomplete election donations and expenses returns posted on the council’s website show that Peter Wells, the only newcomer for the...
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Uses sought for old nacelles
The imminent dismantling of the Te Rere Hau wind turbines above the Palmerston North skyline has posed a recycling conundrum the community is asked to help to solve. When Meridian takes the wind farm’s 97 twin-bladed turbines apart later this year to...
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Vice-chancellor hands over reins
In nine years at the helm of Massey University, vice-chancellor Jan Thomas faced multiple challenges – but when she sees a smiling student cross the stage to graduate, it’s a reminder of why it’s all worth it. She finishes at the end of this month and...
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Homes found for homeless
More than 100 people who might otherwise have been sleeping on Palmerston North’s streets have been helped into homes in the past year. The key has been the intervention of one of a team of three housing navigators who have provided wraparound support...
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End of the line for Marton railway station
Plans to demolish a neglected Rangitīkei railway station have been brought forward after the building was damaged by fire. The Marton railway station was damaged by a blaze early on Sunday morning, with crews from Marton, Bulls and Halcombe attending...
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Cafe embraces safe identity
Some will come armed with a list of questions, others will stand silently at the counter in tears. One customer even spent time working in the kitchen to build trust and combat her anxiety about ordering from a menu. Though society has become...
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Boutique is a blooming venture
Every night Caroline and Eddie Ficher, and their little dog Pierre the 4th, pack up their boutique gifts and homeware, and pop them inside their purpose-built shop. The following morning they do it all over again before opening their century-old home...
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Skating back to glory days
The Memorial Park skating rink in Palmerston North is progressively being restored to glory with the help of the Memorial Park Sports Trust Board. The voluntary group – led by skate rink enthusiast Sandy Nimmo – has provided an umbrella group for...
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King’s Service Medal for five decades of firefighting
For 55 years, Henry Joseph Wheeler has responded to calls donning whatever firefighting gear he has available. In the early years that was a pair of thin pants and a shirt – none of it fire retardant – even if he was turning up to a raging house...
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The return of independence
The return of local decision-making and identity is being welcomed as regional governance is restored at UCOL this week. The polytechnic, which has campuses in Palmerston North, Masterton, Levin and Whanganui, is one of 10 that will be reestablished...
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Rongotea couple dig deep
A Rongotea husband and wife are taking on an ambitious project turning a plot of bare land into a flourishing garden that will provide more than just food. Sarah-Jane and Martin Roundill came up with the idea to plant the rural town’s first community...
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The property KiwiRail wants but will not buy
The owner of a once-immaculate country home on the outskirts of Palmerston North wants some certainty about the future. Hangfeng Ji’s Clevely Line property lies in the path of KiwiRail’s proposed freight hub. It has been designated for the...
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The black-singlet subversion of J Clarke
From a broad, blokey farmer to straight-faced political satire, John Clarke blazed a trail lovingly chronicled in the film Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke. Manawatū Standard editor Matthew Dallas spoke with writer-director Lorin Clarke about...
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New owners to take over The Plaza
The Plaza in Palmerston North has new owners hinting at likely future development of the shopping precinct. The sale from Kiwi Property to NZ Retail Property Group was settled on December 12, and mayor Grant Smith said it was “a great Christmas...
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Conditional licence approval for pub site
Operators of the currently non-existent Cloverlea Tavern have been told they will get a renewed alcohol licence so long as new premises are built and approved. The former tavern building was destroyed by fire in February 2024, and the site on the...
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A base for troubled youth
The founders of an education programme for at-risk youth in Manawatū don’t believe in giving up on anyone. Snapback Academy, previously called Snapback Boxing, runs education and support programmes for young people who are at risk of disengaging from...
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Christmas goes to the dogs
The stars, snowmen and reindeer flicker and pulsate with brilliant abandon, but the festive cocktail of lux and kilowatts is no match for an honest wag of the tail and three pairs of piercing blue eyes. “The dogs are the best part!” is yelled from a...
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Team rapt with medal haul
Claiming double gold on the national stage has been years in the making for a team of Palmerston North Girls’ High School runners. The school had a stellar day at the national secondary schools athletics championships in Hastings earlier this...
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Lifeline for bus services
High school bus services will continue from Ashhurst to Palmerston North, with the regional council coming to the party after previously refusing to fund replacement routes for cancelled services. The Ministry of Education is next year cutting some...
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Outpouring of shock and love for victims
Palmerston North Jewish and inter-faith groups have responded with horror and sadness to the terror attack at Bondi in Australia. Alternative Jewish Voices spokeswoman Marilyn Garson said Jewish people in Palmerston North had awoken yesterday to the...
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LGNZ won’t give stance on capping
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) cannot take a formal position on Government’s rates capping proposal until it meets with mayoral representatives, its vice president says. Gisborne mayor Rehette Stoltz said the organisation had not yet sat down...
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City rates rise may start at 5.2%
Palmerston North’s total rates rise for 2026/27 could be 5.2% based on the first draft of the proposed annual budget discussed by city councillors on Wednesday. Council chief financial officer Cameron McKay said Government plans to bring in a rates...
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John Clarke – what a Dagg
The city was his home for only eight years but John Clarke would have been “utterly unsurprised” a documentary on his life would premiere in Palmerston North, says daughter and film-maker Lorin Clarke. She attended a gala screening of her film Not...
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Two dead in Foxton Beach fire
The streets of Foxton Beach fell into an eerie silence after two people died in a tragic house fire yesterday morning. Police Manawatū area commander Ross Grantham said the bodies were recovered from the Queen St house, which was “completely on fire”...
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Dead Fish shop a vivid ride
Thirty years ago a skateboard shop would never be confused for an art gallery, but time has a way of reframing the past – and pastimes. Dead Fish in Palmerston North is as much a vivid shrine to the subculture as it is a store, trading in memories as...
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Palmerston North growth: It’s all about the balance
Outside David Murphy’s office on the first level of the city council building sits Te Marae o Hine. The treasured centrepiece of the inner city is a visual reminder of the need to protect it but also see it thrive. With that comes a careful balancing...
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Acclaimed artist Brent Harris back on home ground
Acclaimed international artist Brent Harris has returned home to Palmerston North to tell some of his own story in a new exhibition. The Home and Back Again exhibition opens at Te Manawa art gallery today and runs until July 19. It displays the work...
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Summerset ready to rise
On the edge of Palmerston North, 20,000m³ of earth has been moved around in preparation for building the $170 million Summerset Kelvin Grove retirement village. Civil works are almost complete, and over the next five years up to 200 local tradespeople...
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‘Tornado’ flips and flattens
Billy Walker was inside his caravan watching the cabin next door get blown down a hill when a “tornado” hit. The 63-year-old man was staying at Dudding Lake Motor Camp and Caravan Park near Marton in Rangitīkei, which was struck by extreme weather...
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X marks a milestone at Massey
In its three decades of existence, a Massey University programme has produced some of New Zealand’s most celebrated Māori visual artists. Massey is this week celebrating 30 years since its bachelor of Māori visual arts degree began in 1995 at Te...
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Rates cap will be a struggle
“We knew it was coming,” Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith says of the Government’s announcement that rates capping is on the way. He said the city council was already reviewing its future budgets to peg rates increases back to somewhere close to the...
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Courts’ future questioned
Rangitīkei Netball is welcoming a council grant to go towards resurfacing courts in Marton, but it still has questions about the future of the sporting facility. Rangitīkei Netball Centre and Rangitīkei District Council have been in disagreement about...
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The battle to save a racing club
‘It’s location, location, location. We’re right next to the shit ponds, then we’ve got the [dog] pound,” said Michael Kay. “So, you know, basically - between the smell of shit and dogs barking all night - it’s not really that attractive.” Kay is...
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Tall order
As Finn Delany sees it, the task is a simple one for his Tall Blacks in their back-to-back World Cup qualifiers against the Australian Boomers either side of the Tasman. “We just have to be the best version of ourselves,” says the 30-year-old, 55-game...
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McD’s claim shopping site
Awapuni is likely to get a drive-thru McDonald’s next to the Woolworths Pioneer supermarket, but a proposal for 24/7 opening hours has been withdrawn. McDonald’s Restaurant NZ’s application for a resource consent to build the restaurant and takeaway...
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Sanson siblings farewelled
“I need you to know in this life and every life, I choose us every time.’’ These tear-jerking lyrics were played against a backdrop of family photos depicting happy times, full of love and joy, as thousands flooded into Crossroads Church in Palmerston...
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Root cause of racecourse woes eagerly anticipated
Bosses at Palmerston North’s Awapuni Racecourse are awaiting the results of soil testing to see what work needs to be done to restore the troubled track to action. The grass track has been closed for two years. It was shut for 19 months while...
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Dream garden up for sale
Fifty years of a green-thumbed passion project has developed into a garden of international significance, but now it’s time for the owner to move on. Lynne Atkins has lived at Greenhaugh Gardens between Palmerston North and Ashhurst for 49 years, and...
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Owner remains hopeful
Palmerston North Lone Star owner-operator Shari Zika is used to dealing with challenges in the hospitality world. The restaurant and bar has been in a months-long struggle to retain a liquor licence after its application to renew its on-licence was...
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Gravel and Tar cancelled
Organisers of the Gravel and Tar cycle race are determined to keep the event going even though they have had to postpone until next year because of low entry numbers. The Gravel and Tar, which was meant to be held this weekend, was the creation of...
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Age, perfected
L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Day Cream L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Revitalising Day Cream SPF 15 combines two active ingredients rich in polyphenols and vitamins specifically formulated for mature, dull skin. The luxuriously...
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Surgical mesh agony: ‘I thought I was going to die’
Sue Carson was playing tug of war with her dog when she felt a searing pain in her groin. Initially, the 59-year-old from Levin didn’t think much of it and she carried on. She didn’t realise that within a matter of days she would be undergoing three...
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A beautiful country garden amid the farms
It has taken more than 30 years to transform Chatswood from bare Kairanga farmland into a sheltered park-like garden. The 3.6-hectare dream-come-true for Judith-Sandra and Bruce Wilson will be groomed to its best for the Manawatū Garden Festival...
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‘Golden opportunity’ awaits
For almost 40 years, Brian Gilbert has been providing specialist tricycles for riders of all abilities from his store in Levin. Back in 1986, he brought Southend Cycles and Nursery Centre after working at Ford for 23 years and has since built the...
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Primed for world title fight
A Palmerston North boxer has her eyes on the prize and her mind firmly focused on her own preparation ahead of her first shot at a world heavyweight title. Sequita Hemingway, 43, says she knows little about Allahna Tuteru, her opponent for the vacant...
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Scaled-back Pahīatua Wind Farm gets nod of approval
Consent has been granted for the Pahīatua Wind Farm to go ahead, but with only eight of the 11 proposed turbines, and another three subject to conditions that could be impossible to meet. The decision of an expert consenting panel is highly critical...
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City’s Mr fix-it calls it a day
Through decades of changes in technology and attitudes on the value of repairs, one Palmerston North business has been a constant. Roger Martin, 77, has been working as a serviceman, repairing home appliances big and small, since he was 16, but is now...
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Playcentre celebrates outdoor play week
A regular reminder for parents of children at Milson Playcentre in Palmerston North is to bring a change of clothing. The centre is one of many across the country this week that are celebrating outdoor play week and inviting people to visit centres...
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